Nsryjdtyk

In MATLAB, a class folder is represented by foo/@bar/ and a package folder is represented by foo/+bar. In my hierarchy, I have classes that define methods in separate files, so the @bar/ convention is necessary for their containing folders. However, I also have methods that get somewhat complex in their implementation, and would like to have them packaged into... well, packages using the +bar/ convention, like so:

foo/@classfolder/MyClass.m

foo/@classfolder/method1.m

foo/@classfolder/method2.m

foo/@classfolder/+othermethodstuff/method2helper.m

foo/@classfolder/+othermethodstuff/mexmethod_formethod2helper.m

foo/@classfolder/+othermethodstuff/mexfiles/

I want to do this because methods in my actual code that are represented here by method2.m rely on some heavy computations from MEX files that I would prefer to reside in their own folder, with the package system used by MATLAB keeping it clear when I am calling those methods (and from where).

Is this possible? If not, is my only other option dropping the @ class folder convention and sticking everything into package (+) folders?

You should put those private implementation files in a subdirectory private. That is the traditional location for them. If you want to create some obvious hierarchy to organize code, I recommend long file names.

For example:

foo/@classfolder/MyClass.m

foo/@classfolder/method1.m

foo/@classfolder/method2.m

foo/@classfolder/private/physicssimulation_function1.m

foo/@classfolder/private/physicssimulation_function2.m

foo/@classfolder/private/physicssimulation_mexfile.mex

foo/@classfolder/private/uihelper_functionA.m

foo/@classfolder/private/uihelper_functionB.m

M-files and MEX-files in the private directory can be called from any function in the @classfolder directory, as if they were on the path (i.e. you don’t use private when calling them). But they are private to that directory, and not visible from outside.

The above recommendation assumes multiple class methods use the same private functionality. If only one method uses physicssimulation, then all of its functions should be inside that method’s M-file. It’s the better way of keeping code together.